In Support

June 26, 2006

SOUTH BEND -- ARC is a support group for anyone involved in adoption or considering adoption, including adoptive parents, birth parents, adoptees and adoption professionals. Social activities provide families with an opportunity to share and socialize with others with similar circumstances. Fordetails, call Maria at (574) 271-4653 or e-mail pmkil@comcast.net. *** SOUTH BEND -- The St. Joseph County Tobacco Quit Project conducts several meetings every quarter with its community partners. Call (574) 239-8585 for current meeting times and dates at locations in the county. The Web site at STQP.org offers quit tips and the latest news on how to become a healthy nonsmoker. *** A nicotine cessation support group is forming. For more information, contact Jill Sabo, tobacco education coordinator at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, at (574) 239-5298 or saboj@sjrmc.com. *** Alcoholics Anonymous is a worldwide fellowship of sober alcoholics. The group's primary purpose is to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Members observe personal anonymity at the public level. For more information, meeting times and locations, call (574) 234-7007. *** Al-Anon is a support group for people who are affected by someone else's drinking. Several groups meet in the South Bend area. For more information, see the Web site: www.michianaalanon.org. The phone number is (574) 236-5736. A group meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at Madison Center's Quiet Care, 533 N. Niles Ave., South Bend. This group is oriented toward newcomers. For details, call (574) 236-5736. A group meets in Mishawaka at 7 p.m. Sundays, 8 p.m. Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays and 7 p.m. Thursdays at St. Andrew's United Church of Christ. For more information, call John at (574) 292-4061 or Shirley at (574) 272-7842. A group meets in Plymouth at 8 p.m. Wednesdays in the United Church of Christ, 321 N. Center St.. For more information, call (574) 936-9646. A group meets in Koontz Lake at 7 p.m. Sundays at the Koontz Lake Association Club House, 10780 Cherokee Trail. For more information, call (574) 936-0671 or (574) 586-9009. *** A number of groups offer support for people trying to keep their weight under control. Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays at Ridgedale Presbyterian Church, South Bend. For more information, call Abbie Frick at (574) 299-0036. Another group meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at River Park United Methodist Church, South Bend. For more information, call Sharon at (574) 287-4303. For details on other meetings, call Margaret Pfeil at (574) 288-9894 or (800) 932-8677. In Mishawaka, a TOPS group meets from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays in the Battell Center. A TOPS group meets in Niles at 8 a.m. Tuesdays in First Church of Christ Christian, 2240 Yankee St.; 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the Eagles Lodge, 34 Sycamore St.; 6 p.m. Thursdays in the Senior Citizens Center, 1109 Bell Road; and 8:30 a.m. Fridays in Michiana Christian Embassy, 1922 E. Main St. For details, call Jan at (269) 684-4390 or (800) 932-8677. Overeaters Anonymous, a 12-step program, meets three times a week in South Bend. Groups meet at 5:45 p.m. Wednesdays at 134 River Ave.; 12:10 p.m. Fridays at Madison Center's Riverside Pavilion, 533 Niles Ave., Room 146; and 5:30 p.m. Sundays at Unity Church, corner of Colfax and Notre Dame avenues. For more information, call Nanci at (574) 277-1142 or Kack at (574) 256-9175. Groups also meet in LaPorte at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays in the Yana Service Club, 1621 Roberts St.; and in Michigan City at 7 p.m. Mondays in St. Anthony Memorial Health Centers, 301 W. Homer St., and 9 a.m. Thursdays in the Barker Hall Lounge in Trinity Church, 600 Franklin Square. For more information on Overeaters Anonymous, call 1-800-589-6262. The Web site is www.region5oa.org/. Compulsive Eaters Anonymous-HOW, a 12-step recovery group for food addiction, meets in Plymouth at 7 p.m. Thursdays in the Jim Neu Family Room in the Children's Section of the Plymouth Public Library, 131 W. Garro St. For details, call (574) 936-2358 and leave a message. Compulsive Eaters Anonymous-HOW meets three times a week in the Trinity Center, 619 Main St., St. Joseph. One group meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays. For more information, call Dee at (269) 465-3946 or Bonnie at (269) 982-2912. Another group meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, call Dale at (269) 944-3640 or Dee at (269) 465-3946. A third group meets at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. For more information, call Bonnie at (269) 982-2912 or Dale at (269) 944-3640. There are no fees or dues. An eating disorder group meets at 7 p.m. Mondays at 3715 S. Michigan St., near Chippewa Avenue, South Bend. For details, call Ellen at (574) 299-0921. Food Addicts Anonymous, which treats sugar, flour and wheat as substances that can be abused like alcohol and drugs, meets at 11 a.m. Saturdays in Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka. The group uses a 12-step recovery program to change the way people act, think and feel about food. Membership is open to anyone, and there are no dues or fees. The group supports itself through the members' contributions. For more information, contact Gwen at (574) 291-5396 or Sheila at rotini21@yahoo.com. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous meets at 6:30 p.m. Mondays in The Community Center, 103 S. Douglas Ave., Three Rivers. For more information, call Lynn at (269) 279-5903. The Web site is www.foodaddicts.org. Lighthouse Watchers, offering support for people on diets, meets from 6:30 to 8:30 Thursdays at Lighthouse Baptist Church, 3050 Edison Road, South Bend. Meetings also include information on health. For more information, call Cathie at (574) 231-0078 or Rose at (574) 258-0119. *** SOUTH BEND --OutMichiana, a support group for women and men (including married lesbians and gays) who would like to discuss coming out, meets at 7 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month. For information, call (574) 288-5045 or e-mail OutMichiana@aol.com. *** SOUTH BEND -- The Autism Family Support Group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at Logan Center. For more information, call Dan Ryan at Logan Center at (574) 289-4831. *** SOUTH BEND -- The Muscular Dystrophy Support Group meets at 7:15 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, 53720 N. Ironwood Road. For more information, call (574) 259-9912. *** SOUTH BEND -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association offers free support groups in the South Bend/Elkhart area for individuals and their families affected by any of 40 neuromuscular diseases, including muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Support Group meets at 7:15 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, 53720 N. Ironwood Road. For more information, call MDA Program Services Coordinator Rita Totzke in Mishawaka at (574) 259-9912. *** SOUTH BEND -- The Ovarian Cancer Support Group meets from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the first Monday of the month in the St. Joseph Women's Cancer Task Force office, 707 E. Cedar St., Pavilion 2, Suite 405. The group offers education and awareness. For more information, call Nancy White at (574) 259-4922 or Joan Lennon at (574) 472-6095. *** CASSOPOLIS -- The Caregiver's Support Group, for family members, friends or neighbors who help care for an individual with Alzheimer's (or other dementia), stroke, Parkinson's disease or other type of illness, meets from 1 to 3 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month at the Cass County Council on Aging, at the corner of Michigan 60 and Decatur Road. For more information, or to arrange care at no cost for a loved one during the meeting, call Suzanne Beurmann, RN, at (269) 445-8110. *** SOUTH BEND -- The Friendship Group is a nonprofit interfaith organization leading older adults to a more productive and meaningful life. The group meets for a potluck lunch on the last Wednesday of the month. For details, call Clara White at 232-2767. *** SOUTH BEND -- The Singles Mingle Bridge Club, a bridge group for singles, meets at 12:30 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of the month in the Howard Park Senior Center, 604 E. Jefferson Blvd. For more information, call (574) 233-2927. *** SOUTH BEND -- A general support group for newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families meets from 5 to 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month in the Leighton Center for Senior Health. For more information, call Linda Campbell-Davis at (574) 647-7549) or Chris Bloom at (574) 647-3650). *** SOUTH BEND -- The Women's Rap Group, which is open to women on parole, on probation or in a pretrial diversion program, meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in the Dismas House, 521 S. St. Joseph St. In a confidential setting, women are offered help and encouragement on employment, stress and money management, parenting, health, relationships and more. Occasional field trips are offered. For more information, call Maria at Dismas House at (574) 233-8522. The e-mail address is michianadismas@sbcglobal.net.